LG V35 ThinQ vs. LG G7 ThinQ: Which phone prevails in stablemate showdown?

The LG G7 ThinQ isn’t even out yet, but LG is already taking the wraps off its next phone, LG V35 ThinQ. Being stablemates, these two phones have a lot in common, with powerful hardware, huge screens, and LG’s A.I. smarts. But when it comes down to the real nitty-gritty, which of these two should you be spending your hard-earned dollars on? We put them head-to-head in a specs comparison.

Specs

Performance, battery life, and charging

You’re likely to not see much of a difference between these two models when it comes down to performance, as both are using the latest Snapdragon 845 processor. It’s an exceptionally powerful chip, and most phones we’ve tested with it have proven to be lightning fast, with no issues handling even the most demanding games. We haven’t had a chance to fully test the LG V35 ThinQ yet, but we expect it to perform extremely well. The G7 comes with 4GB RAM with the base model, but the V35 ups it to 6GB of RAM.

We were slightly disappointed with the size of the G7’s battery on launch, but the 3,000mAh capacity proved capable enough to last a little more than a day. Again, we haven’t tested the V35 ThinQ properly yet, but we reckon the slightly larger battery size and OLED display should mean it’s a slightly stronger performer in battery life. Charging-wise, you can plunk either of these down on a Qi wireless charger, or connect with a USB Type-C charging cable for superfast QuickCharge 3.0 recharging.

There’s a lot that’s similar between these two phones, but the larger battery capacity and the extra RAM on the V35 ThinQ push it ahead. It wins this round.

Winner: LG V35 ThinQ

Design and durability

There’s a lot to like on the LG G7 ThinQ, but design isn’t necessarily high on the list. It’s not a bad style — the notched display and bezel-less design marks it firmly as a 2018 flagship — but it simply doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself in terms of its looks. The V35 ThinQ is a little more uniform on the front, because there’s no notch, but since it’s a design we’ve already seen on the V30S and the V30, it’s hardly exciting.

Both phones feel very light in the hand, which lends an air of cheapness — not something you want to feel in a premium flagship. We don’t recommend dropping either of these phones, thanks to the large amount of glass used on both. Get a case for either one and your peace of mind will improve. Surprisingly, the G7 will be slightly more durable because it uses Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, as opposed to Gorilla Glass 4 on the V35. Both phones fare better in terms of water and dust-resistance, thanks their IP68-ratings. That should mean both of them can take a trip down the toilet or into the bath and come out mostly unscathed (though we don’t recommend testing that).

One other big difference is the power button. The V35 uses the fingerprint sensor as the power button, but the LG G7 adds a new power button on the right edge of the phone.

The LG G7 ThinQ is slightly more durable than the V35, and we think its design is at least a little more interesting. It takes the win.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Display

We hope you like big screens, because both of these phones come with huge displays, thanks to bezel-less designs and extended aspect ratios. The G7 ThinQ comes with the larger screen, sporting a 6.1-inch Super LCD screen with a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, and delivering a super-sharp 564 pixels per inch (ppi). The V35 ThinQ has a smaller 6-inch screen and a smaller ppi of 537, but with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels, it’s likely tough to notice a difference.

There is a difference between the types of screens used. While the G7 ThinQ uses a Super LCD screen, the V35 ThinQ is rocking an OLED screen, with all the advantages that screen tech delivers. The Super LCD on the G7 ThinQ looks great, but it can’t offer inky blacks like an OLED display. The G7 does have a trick up its sleeve: Super Bright Mode. Tap a button on the brightness slider and the screen will hit 1,000 nits — plenty of brightness to see the display outdoors in daylight. It only lasts 3 minutes, but it makes the screen far easier to read than an OLED outdoors.

The notch design on the G7 is a point of contention. You can turn it off via software in the settings, but you won’t have to deal with this problem at all on the V35.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both screens. While we love OLED displays, the Super Bright Mode is certainly handy outdoors, and the sharper screen helps,too. This round’s a tie.

Winner: Tie

Camera

We haven’t had much chance to test out the LG V35 ThinQ’s camera yet, but it has the exact same camera we saw in the LG G7 ThinQ. Both phones’ camera suites are comprised of two 16MP lenses on the back — one standard, one wide-angle. These cameras are quite capable, with the wide-angle delivering some rather spectacular shots on occasion — but it’s when the lights go down that performance really takes a hit. Despite LG’s Super Bright mode, the G7 ThinQ just doesn’t deliver in low-light situations — and based on the numbers, the V35 ThinQ will probably suffer from the same issue.

The V35 ThinQ will also come with the same A.I.-powered camera smarts that will change your settings based on what’s in frame, 4K video recording, and a 240 fps slow-motion video mode. There’s nothing different here, so this category is a tie.

Winner: Tie

Software and updates

It’ll likely come as no surprise to anyone that you’ll find much the same versions of Android 8.0 Oreo on both of these LG flagships. It’s not stock Android and both have a couple of LG’s pre-installed apps, but there are plenty of settings to help you customize the phone to your liking.

In terms of updates, as flagships, we expect these two will get a good few years of updates from LG, and will most likely be updated to Android P. Judging by past performance, you can expect the LG V35 ThinQ to get an update before the G7 ThinQ, but there’s unlikely to be a huge difference between the two. This is a tie.

Winner: Tie

Special features

We’re seeing more and more A.I. integration in the market, and LG’s products are no stranger to A.I. smarts. The “ThinQ” name indicates an entry into LG’s A.I.-assisted world, and that means that both the LG G7 ThinQ and V35 ThinQ will be able to talk to any of LG’s other ThinQ-branded products. But it doesn’t end there (thankfully), as LG has ramped up integration of the Google Assistant. The G7 ThinQ comes with a dedicated button that can be used to talk to the Google Assistant without having to say a hot word — similar to how the Bixby button works on Samsung phones. The V35 ThinQ doesn’t have a button, but like the G7, you can ask Google Assistant to complete specific phone-related tasks.

The BoomBox speaker was one of the more impressive parts of the G7 ThinQ, using the inside of the phone as an echo chamber to enhance sound quality. The V35 ThinQ doesn’t have this specific feature, but it does have get a Quad DAC and DTS-X Virtual Surround Sound like the G7.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Price

The LG G7 ThinQ is currently available for pre-order, and will ship June 1, with prices starting from $750. It will be available on all carriers except for AT&T. Pre-orders for the LG V35 ThinQ will start June 1, with the phone shipping June 8. It will cost $900, and it will be sold exclusively on AT&T and Google’s Project Fi network.

Overall winner: LG G7 ThinQ

The LG V35 ThinQ may be the company’s latest phone, but we think the G7 ThinQ is worth the money. It has a slightly flashier design, and handy features like the Super Bright Screen, a dedicated Google Assistant button, and the Boombox speaker. But if you hate the notch, the more expensive V35 might be the phone for you if you’re on AT&T or Project Fi. The V35 does have a bigger battery, an OLED screen, and more RAM.